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Cole Shamhart pitching
ASHTIN ELDER PHOTO
7
Winner Ill. Wesleyan ILL. WES 4-12
2
Millikin MILLIKIN 15-5
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan ILL. WES
4-12
7
Final
2
Millikin MILLIKIN
15-5
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Ill. Wesleyan ILL. WES 1 0 0 1 0 0 3 2 0 7 9 2
Millikin MILLIKIN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 8 4

W: Shamhart, Cole (2-1) L: Joey Ross (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Shamhart Shines in Baseball’s Win Over Big Blue

Titans win third consecutive game

DECATUR, Ill.- A dominant pitching performance by senior Cole Shamhart (Oak Park, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) boosted the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team to a 7-2 victory over No. 22 Millikin University Wednesday, March 25 at Workman Family Baseball Field. IWU improves to 4-12 and hands MU its fifth loss of the season for a 15-5 record.

Shamhart was sensational in his third start of the campaign, going a season-high 6.2 innings. The senior punched out eight batters on 97 pitches and delivered just one free pass. The last time Shamart went 6+ shutout innings in a start was April 23, 2024 against Carthage College. He struck out a career-high 12 in the win against the Firebirds. The Titans leaned on one other pitcher in senior Luke Costello (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove South). Costello finished his performance with 2.1 innings pitched, allowing two runs on a pair of hits.

Illinois Wesleyan's nine hits edged Millikin's eight. The Big Blue aided the IWU offense with four errors to the Green and White's two. Sophomore AJ Weller (Geneseo, Ill.-Geneseo) put together a three-hit day, including a triple. Junior John Philip Ferraro (Oak Park, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) tallied his fifth multi-hit game of the year with a pair of knocks tonight and added the same number of runs batted in.

Millikin gifted IWU an early lead when Hudik reached first on an error by the shortstop and then a walk to Weller. A groundout moved the runners into scoring position for Ferraro who brought home sophomore Matt Hudik (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way Central) on a bouncing ball to first.

Ferraro took part in the second run of the game, singling to start the fourth. The lefty did not stay at first base long, advancing to second on a wild pitch and getting to third on a ground out. A batter later, Ferraro scored on an infield single as junior Patrick Carmody (Oak Park, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) legged out a hard hit ball that found the glove of the shortstop who slipped and fell just beyond the infield.

The Titans were poised to add on in the sixth after the leadoff batter, senior Jack Flagg (Oak Park, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest), reached second on a throwing error. The error forced the hand of the Big Blue head coach as Nolan Reiman replaced Joey Ross to try and escape the jam. Ross put the next two Titans down on strikes before tip-toeing his way out of trouble with a groundout to the second inning to thwart the IWU threat.

Still dealing into the sixth inning, Shamhart encountered trouble of his own. The righty struck out the first batter of the inning but suffered consecutive hits leaving runners on the corners with one out. Shamhart fell behind in the count but a successful 3-1 pitch was popped in foul territory and tracked down by sophomore Michael Gurgone (Mokena, Ill.- Lincoln-Way Central) at third for the second out. After a steal of second, Shamhart buckled down to get another popup to Gurgone to retire the side and keep the shutout intact.

The ensuing inning gave Shamhart more cushion to work with, as the Titan offense plated three runs on two hits. It was a two-out rally that sparked the bats. Gurgone reached on a misplay by the shortstop and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on a putout by the second baseman. Sophomore Ben Ford (Naperville, Ill.-Waubonsie Valley) worked a full count two-out walk to extend the inning to Ferraro. The busy lefty found a pitch he liked and took it up the middle which was stopped by the second baseman, but it was too late to record an out as a run scampered home. Flagg sent the innings first ball out of the infield, bouncing up against the right-center wall bringing home Ferraro and Ford.

Leading 5-0 in the eighth, the Green and White drove its lead to seven. The bottom of the order proved fruitful for the Titans with senior Gage Wolfe (Bloomington, Ill.-Bloomington) boarded first on a single with one out. Gurgone drove a ball down the right field line, scoring Wolfe from first. A couple batters later, Weller tripled his way aboard, sneaking a ball down the left field line for a 7-0 score. Millikin tried to stunt a comeback, but could only drive in two runs in the ninth. 

Illinois Wesleyan and Millikin will not be separated for long as the Big Blue will make the trek to Jack Horenberger Field for a twin-bill Saturday, March 28 against the Titans. First pitch from Bloomington is set for 12 p.m.
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